NXT FEBRUARY 21ST 2018
The show opened with a great video package, which went over Almas’s entire NXT run, the Gargano/Almas Takeover match and the set-up to their rematch.
Velveteen Dream vs. No Way Jose
Crowd were firmly into Velveteen. Not to the point of being anti-Jose, but you can clearly see who’s on the way up here. Dream spent too much time dancing and mocking Jose, giving No Way a way into the match at the start. This was a lot more Jose on offence than Dream and it wasn’t always particularly pretty. Dream countered the pop-up punch with a dropkick though and hit the Purple Rainmaker to eek out the win.
Post match, Dream proclaimed himself winner of all of NXT’s year-end awards and said nobody cared about Black, Asuka or Bate. So at least now it makes sense why Dream’s targeting Bate. He said it was clear his name was on everyone’s tongues and if you didn’t realise it, he didn’t have time for you.
Vega was seen hyping up Almas backstage.
Backstage, Regal announced the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic would be beginning in two weeks and the winners would get a Tag Team Title shot at Takeover New Orleans.
Nikki Cross vs. Vanessa Borne
Borne got a chance to control the middle of the match and looked solid. She definitely looks comfortable in the ring, both with the actual wrestling and how she carried herself, which I guess is the first hurdle for a newer wrestler. Cross of course came back to win with the swinging fisherman’s neckbreaker which Mauro called The Purge.
Black and Dain’s awkward promo exchange last week was recapped. Cutting it down to get to the point, it was slightly less awkward, but still not great by any stretch.
Gargano was shown pacing backstage with Candice, ahead of the main event.
Recap of the finish of last week’s show, with Sane saving Ember from Baszler’s arm attack.
NXT CHAMPIONSHIP
Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) w/Zelina Vega vs. Johnny Gargano w/Candice LaRae
This was the TV version of the Takeover match, which is all you could really ask for, given the setting. The big question here was the finish. You suspected Gargano wouldn’t win, but it wasn’t a given with the career stip thrown in. Almas went for the early win with a number of roll-ups and the hammerlock DDT. They took Candice and Zelina out of the equation early on as well, as Zelina tried to prevent a dive by Johnny and instead Candice took Zelina out with a dive, before fighting her all the way to the back. Putting that spot in early seemed to take the crowd up a notch and the rest of the match, they were into things. Almas would focus on the arm through the match, even busting out the Gargano Escape at one point. They threw in some callback spots to the Takeover match too, with Gargano preventing some of the big moves Almas hit in that match. Gargano got the one big near fall with a slingshot DDT, before Drake took a ref bump off an Almas elbow. Gargano then locked in the Gargano Escape, but Ciampa appeared from the crowd and nailed Gargano with a crutch shot, allowing Almas to hit the hammerlock DDT to retain. So now, I guess we wait to see how they get around the Gargano leaving NXT stipulation. A worthy addition to the series between these two.
They sold the stip post match, with Gargano getting a “thank you Johnny” chant and Rome even announcing that Gargano had to leave NXT to the crowd. Candice came out to console him and they had the commentators applaud Gargano. Once Gargano had left, they then cut to Ciampa, waving Johnny goodbye.
RECOMMENDED VIEWING: You can safely stick with the opening video package and the main event this week.
NXT WEEK: Kairi Sane against Shayna Baszler.